I've had pasta dishes before that only deliver on one level - they're either really creamy or really spicy, but I want the full shebang!!! So, I came up with this gorgeous dish that will tingle your taste buds and deliver on every level. The roasted veggies provide a deep background flavour, the mascarpone delivers a rich, velvety creaminess and the chipotle chilli adds a a lovely smoky kick. It's perfect as it is, but if you want to bulk it out a little more it is also lovely with some cooked, sliced chorizo/good quality sausage mixed through.
Ingredients
Serves 2 (the roasted veggies will actually make enough sauce for pasta for 8-10 people, or use the extra to create two more meals - my veggie heaven dish and 'the best' roasted tomato and red pepper soup)
1.4kg large vine tomatoes, halved
3 red peppers, deseeded and sliced into quarters
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Good pinch of sea salt
A few good cracks of black pepper
Pinch of caster sugar
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
200g rigatoni pasta (100g per person)
125g mascarpone cheese
1/2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes (add 1 tsp if you like it really spicy)
80g baby spinach, finely sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
A few basil leaves, torn
50g parmesan, grated
Directions
For the roasted veggie sauce
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.
Place all of the vegetables for the sauce into a large baking tray.
Sprinkle over the salt, pepper and sugar and then drizzle over the oil.
Roast in the oven for 60-70 minutes (check at 40 minutes and give a good mix, scraping any juices and crusty bits from the corners of the pan, and press the tomatoes down firmly to encourage them to break down, you want the veggies to roast to a lovely pulpy mess).
Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the smoked paprika, and then mix again.
Leave to cool.
Place the cooled veggies into a blender and blitz until you have a thick sauce.
Place a sieve over a bowl.
Pour the sauce into the sieve.
Use a large metal spoon to push the sauce through the sieve (this will remove any seeds from the tomatoes).
Keep the sauce covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
When ready to make the pasta
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
Add the pasta, and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile place 5 heaped tbsp (2.5 tbsp per person) of the roasted veggie sauce into a medium pan.
Add the mascarpone, chipotle chilli flakes and a good crack of black pepper and stir well to combine.
Heat over a low heat whilst the pasta cooks, stirring regularly.
Taste the sauce to check for seasoning, adding more pepper and a little sea salt if necessary.
When the pasta has cooked, drain off the water and add the spinach to the hot pasta.
Stir the spinach through, allowing the spinach to wilt.
Add the pasta and spinach to the pan with the now warmed sauce.
Mix well to combine and split between two serving bowls.
Sprinkle over the torn basil leaves and the grated parmesan.
Serve immediately.
Delicious x